Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Helen Roth with her electric chainsaw used to remove
brush and trees to restore her upland pine habitat.

The Florida Land Steward Partnership is very enthusiastic and pleased to honor Ms. Helen Roth, the Florida Land Steward Landowner of 2015. Helen and her property were featured in the Fall/Winter issue of the Florida Land Steward Newsletter. The following is a recap with some additional photos from her Forest Stewardship tour in April 2015. Spring Canyon LLC is a 100-acre
Gadsden County property owned and managed by Helen, her husband Tom, and many energized and passionate friends and volunteers who share her passion for the land and its unique vegetation and wildlife. This beautiful property is home to
steephead ravines and longleaf pine-wire grass sandhills.

Helen has traced the history of the property
through property records and aerial photographs back to 1926 near the end of
the turpentine era. In 1960, the land was donated to the First Baptist Church
of Greensboro. The church put in a dam
on Crooked Creek to create a small lake in the center of the property. Fire was
excluded from the uplands during their ownership.

Shortly after a prescribed fire, following brush and tree removal.

Helen’s brother, Mark Bane, bought the
property in 1993 and began working with the Forest Stewardship Program in 1994.
He harvested the hardwoods from two of the three upland areas and applied
prescribed fire to one of the areas before he passed away in 2005 and the
property passed to Mark and Helen’s father. In 2008, Helen and Tom purchased
the land from her father and entered Forest Stewardship Program. At that time,
the one upland area that had been cleared and burned was in good shape so
became Helen’s reference area for what the rest of the uplands should look
like. In the areas that that had been cleared but not burned, natural
regeneration of longleaf pine had occurred, but the encroaching hardwoods were head
high. Helen was able to get a contractor to come in and conduct a prescribed burn
in 2011. She quickly learned that the fire helped control small hardwood saplings
that were invading the uplands, but it did not control the larger hardwoods
enough to open up the habitat.

Helen’s goal for the property is to restore and maintain the
longleaf pine-wiregrass uplands that will ultimately maintain healthy steephead
ravines and provide good wildlife habitat.In 2012, Helen entered the Working Lands for Wildlife Program operated
by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.The Working Lands for Wildlife Program is focused on creating and restoring
habitat for gopher tortoises.Helen was
awarded a contract for 26.5 acres of brush management and prescribed
burning.The upland sandhills were
divided into 3 treatment areas and work on clearing brush and trees up to 6
inches in diameter began in the summer of 2013.Using a battery operated chainsaw, she and a volunteer cleared the first
8.5 acres by October of that year.By
January 2014, they had cleared another 14 acres.In March 2014, the first burn on the three
upland areas was conducted and Helen became a certified prescribed burn manager.The final 4 acres of brush management was
finished in August 2014.

Since the completion of the brush management, there has been
a noticeable increase in the number of gopher tortoises and fox squirrels using
the property.New burrows are appearing
and inactive burrows are being re-activated.The endangered Gholson’s Gayfeather (Liatris
gholsonii) is one of many wildflowers exploding across the now open
sandhill habitat, and the wiregrass has begun to recover after years of excessive
shade and fire exclusion.To say the
transformation has been spectacular is an understatement.One has to see the property to believe the
change.

Helen Roth sharing experiences and information with fellow
landowners at her April 2015 Forest Stewardship Tour.

Helen loves to use the property to educate other landowners
and those interested in Florida’s natural areas.Over the years she has led tours for the
Florida Forest Stewardship Program, Florida Native Plant Society and the North American Butterfly Association and the Florida Trails Association.She has been visited by a number of university professors and
researchers who have come to study the plants, wildlife, and ravines on her
property.Much of what she has learned
about the plants on the property she learned from members of the Florida Native
Plant Society.She labels plants as
people identify them so she is able to observe them throughout the
seasons.This is a great way to learn
how to identify plants whether in flower or not.Her philosophy has been that you need to
learn the plants on your property so you know which ones are most vulnerable and
need protection, and which ones are invasive and need to be removed to protect
the native habitat.She encourages other
landowners to get involved with their local native plant society chapter and
begin learning the plants on their property.The more you learn, the more you will enjoy your property.

Helen's passion and hard work to restore her Spring Canyon property is an inspiration to all of us. Hats off to Helen, the 2015 Florida Land Steward Landowner of 2015!

NOVEMBER 2015 ISSUE OF SOUTHERN FIRE EXCHANGE'S FIRE LINES NEWSLETTER
In this issue of our bimonthly newsletter, you will find articles that highlight research results from two recently published studies: Prescribed Fire Risk on Private Lands, and Smoke and Socially Vulnerable Populations.

In addition, you will find the following articles sharing resources, news, and upcoming events: Join Us December 3 for Mixing Height Webinar, Reaching Managers in the Field, Updated Resource on Insurance Options for Landowners and Consultants, International Wildland Fire Conference Highlights, Share Your Story: Southern Region Cohesive Strategy, and the Southeast Assessment of Climate Change Vulnerability

TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2015 TAX YEAR
Federal income tax laws can influence a private woodland owner’s financial decisions about land management. Yet, special favorable tax provisions on timber that are intended to encourage private forest management and stewardship are commonly unknown. To help woodland owners in filing their 2015 tax returns, this publication, by Dr. Linda Wang, USDA Forest Service National Timber Tax Specialist, explains the federal income tax laws on timber. The information is not legal or accounting advice. It is current as of September 30, 2015. This publication is available at http://www.timbertax.org

USDA NRCS PROGRAMS HELP FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCESApplication deadline for financial assistance Dec. 18
Florida farmers and ranchers can apply until Dec. 18, 2015, for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for fiscal year 2016 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other farm or ranch lands.

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve agricultural lands and wetlands. Agricultural Land Easements help farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Eligible partners are Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. Wetland Reserve Easements offer technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland easement.
Begin by visiting your local NRCS field office and requesting help developing a conservation plan. Our experts provide this free service to help you use your natural resources more efficiently. To learn about technical and financial assistance available from NRCS, go to Getting Started with NRCS.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing $10.6 million to aid forest managers restoring longleaf pine ecosystems on private lands in nine states, including $1,278,000 for Florida. NRCS’ Longleaf Pine Initiative, has helped restore more than 240,000 acres of longleaf forests. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners and land managers plant longleaf as well as manage longleaf forests through practices like prescribed burning.

Assistance is available to land managers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact their local USDA service center.SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES?
Do you have pests or a disease in your trees? Leaves or needles wilting, and you don’t know why? Sawdust falling out of your trees, and you don’t know how to save them? There is help: ask your question at the free Forest Health Diagnostic Forum: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/treehealth/forum/.FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?

Friday, November 13, 2015

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing $10.6 million to aid forest managers restoring longleaf pine ecosystems on private lands in nine states, including $1,278,000 for Florida. Longleaf pine forests nearly vanished, but a coordinated conservation effort, led by USDA and other conservation partners, is helping this unique ecosystem of the Southeast recover.

“USDA is committed to working with land managers to help restore and expand this critical ecosystem, and together we have restored nearly a quarter of a million acres since 2009,” said Russell Morgan, NRCS state conservationist in Florida. “Longleaf forests provide vital habitat to a variety of species as well as valuable timber. We look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in this next round of the initiative.”

During the past two centuries, development, timbering and fire suppression reduced the ecosystem’s range by almost 97 percent. Longleaf forests once dominated the coastal plains of the Southeast, and 29 threatened and endangered species – including the gopher tortoise and black pine snake – depend on these forests for survival.

NRCS’ Longleaf Pine Initiative, now in its sixth year, has helped restore more than 240,000 acres of longleaf forests. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners and land managers plant longleaf as well as manage longleaf forests through practices like prescribed burning.
Longleaf trees are resistant to fire, and prescribed burning mimics a natural process that once enabled them to thrive. Additionally, fire gives life to a fresh understory of plants that provides food for wildlife. Longleaf forests benefit both wildlife and land managers. Longleaf pine trees, while slower growing than other pines like loblolly, provide highly valuable timber. Longleaf pine straw has also become a popular landscaping material.

Assistance is available to land managers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact their local USDA service center.

TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2015 TAX YEAR
Federal income tax laws can influence a private woodland owner’s financial decisions about land management. Yet, special favorable tax provisions on timber that are intended to encourage private forest management and stewardship are commonly unknown. To help woodland owners in filing their 2015 tax returns, this publication, by Dr. Linda Wang, USDA Forest Service National Timber Tax Specialist, explains the federal income tax laws on timber. The information is not legal or accounting advice. It is current as of September 30, 2015. This publication is available at http://www.timbertax.orgUSDA NRCS PROGRAMS HELP FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCESApplication deadline for financial assistance Dec. 18
Florida farmers and ranchers can apply until Dec. 18, 2015, for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for fiscal year 2016 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other farm or ranch lands.

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve agricultural lands and wetlands. Agricultural Land Easements help farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Eligible partners are Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. Wetland Reserve Easements offer technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland easement.

Begin by visiting your local NRCS field office and requesting help developing a conservation plan. Our experts provide this free service to help you use your natural resources more efficiently. To learn about technical and financial assistance available from NRCS, go to Getting Started with NRCS.

SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES?
Do you have pests or a disease in your trees? Leaves or needles wilting, and you don’t know why? Sawdust falling out of your trees, and you don’t know how to save them? There is help: ask your question at the free Forest Health Diagnostic Forum: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/treehealth/forum/.FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?

Thursday, November 5, 2015

TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2015 TAX YEAR
Federal income tax laws can influence a private woodland owner’s financial decisions about land management. Yet, special favorable tax provisions on timber that are intended to encourage private forest management and stewardship are commonly unknown. To help woodland owners in filing their 2015 tax returns, this publication, by Dr. Linda Wang, USDA Forest Service National Timber Tax Specialist, explains the federal income tax laws on timber. The information is not legal or accounting advice. It is current as of September 30, 2015. This publication is available at http://www.timbertax.orgUSDA NRCS PROGRAMS HELP FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCESApplication deadline for financial assistance Dec. 18
Florida farmers and ranchers can apply until Dec. 18, 2015, for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for fiscal year 2016 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other farm or ranch lands.

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve agricultural lands and wetlands. Agricultural Land Easements help farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Eligible partners are Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. Wetland Reserve Easements offer technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland easement.

Begin by visiting your local NRCS field office and requesting help developing a conservation plan. Our experts provide this free service to help you use your natural resources more efficiently. To learn about technical and financial assistance available from NRCS, go to Getting Started with NRCS.

SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES?
Do you have pests or a disease in your trees? Leaves or needles wilting, and you don’t know why? Sawdust falling out of your trees, and you don’t know how to save them? There is help: ask your question at the free Forest Health Diagnostic Forum: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/treehealth/forum/.FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?